In the past year, Daniel Radcliffe has given several interviews where he’s discussed his stance on gay rights. Basically, Daniel is one of the biggest, most vocal, most amazing supporter of gay rights in the acting community. In one interview, Daniel said, “I just loathe homophobia. It’s just disgusting and animal and stupid and it’s just thick people who can’t get their heads around it and are just scared…I grew up around gay people entirely. I was the only child in my class who had any experience of homosexuality or anything like that.”

In another interview, Daniel was asked how he felt about being an “icon” to the gay community, to which Daniel gleefully replied: “It’s wonderful. I grew up around gay people my entire life, basically, that’s possibly why I’m quite camp, and some people think I’m gay when I meet them, which I think is awesome. It’s always good to keep them guessing [laughs]. I don’t go on any blogs or chats or anything, but my friends are demons for them, and apparently someone said ‘Daniel Radcliffe is gay. He’s got a gay face!’ I really don’t know what a gay face is.”

So, basically, Daniel love the gays, and they love him right back. So this new project of Daniel’s is no big surprise, but it still made me smile. Daniel has filmed an American public service announcement for The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is an advocacy group that works on preventing suicide amongst gay youths. Daniel released a statement about his involvement in the project:

Daniel Radcliffe is explaining why he has just filmed a public service announcement for The Trevor Project, the leading organization focusing on suicide prevention efforts among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth.

Because his parents were both actors, “I grew up knowing a lot of gay men and it was never something that I even thought twice about – that some men were gay and some weren’t,” the “Harry Potter” megastar said Friday. “And then I went to school and (for) the first time … I came across homophobia. … I had never encountered it before. It shocked me.

“I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals,” he added. “Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it.”

The result is a PSA that was filmed Friday at the organization’s Wall Street offices. The announcement is scheduled to air sometime this spring. Radcliffe first became aware of The Trevor Project, founded in 1998 by three filmmakers, while he was appearing on Broadway in the 2008 revival of “Equus.” Their movie, “Trevor,” which won an Academy Award for best short film, concerned a gay teen who attempts suicide. The Trevor Project allows young people to call in for counseling or just to talk.

“I have described myself as being ‘gently eccentric’ and slightly different as a person just because I’ve had a very different set of influences growing up than anybody else in my peer group did,” the 20-year-old Radcliffe said. “I’ve always felt very lucky to have the life that I’ve had. I never had to cope with anything serious about my religion or sexual orientation or anything like that.

“I think it’s important for somebody from a big, commercial movie series like ‘Harry Potter’ and particularly because I am not gay or bisexual or transgendered. … The fact that I am straight makes not a difference, but it shows that straight people are incredibly interested and care a lot about this as well.”

[From Huffington Post]

I think Daniel is a pretty cool kid, but the fact that he’s putting his public persona on the line to stand up for at-risk gay kids is just wonderful. He just seems so well-adjusted, intelligent and thoughtful, and I’m sure this will be only the first movement he makes to become an even more hardcore gay rights advocate – this is now his issue, bless his heart.